Caramel Apple Tart
Ingredients:
For the Gluten Free Pâte Sablée:
240 g Gluten-Free Plain Flour
40 g ground almonds
75 g icing sugar
1/2 tsp salt
113 g butter, room temperature, cut into smaller pieces
1 large egg, room temperature
For the Brown Sugar Apple Filling:
100 g light brown sugar
10g cornstarch
25 g unsalted butter
800-900 g peeled and diced apples (I used 6 medium sized apples)
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg (or a few grates of fresh grated nutmeg)
1 tsp salt
For Caramel Sauce:
115 g water
240 grams sugar
3/4 tsp salt
220 g heavy cream
For the Pecan Streusel:
100 g gluten free plain flour
75 g light brown sugar
80 g raw, chopped pecans
60 g butter, cold, cut in smaller pieces
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
Method:
How to make Gluten Free Pâte Sablée:
Combine your gluten-free flour, ground, icing sugar, and salt in your food processor and pulse to combine 10-15 times.
Add your room temperature butter and pulse 10-15 times until it has a crumbly texture.
Turn your food processor to blend and blend for 10 seconds and add your whole egg through the feeder. Blend to combine (10-15 seconds)
How to make your gluten free tart shells:
To make tart shells, roll out your chilled Gluten Free Pâte Sablée between two sheets of parchment paper. Roll out the dough so that it is around 0.5cm thick. If the dough softens, refrigerate for a few minutes. When ready, remove the parchment paper and cut the dough into a circle larger than your tart shell. It does not have to be perfectly round but bigger than the tart shell.
Lay your dough circle over your tart shell and gently press into the shell. Use your fingers to gently press the dough into the bottom of the pan and up along the edges. Don’t worry if excess dough hangs over the edges. Take a small paring knife or use your fingers and trim off the dough that’s hanging over the edges of each tart pan. It’s okay to leave a little bit of extra dough (like ¼″ or 2-3mm) in case the dough shrinks a little bit while we blind bake it. Put in the fridge for at least 30 mins.
How to blind bake tart shells:
Preheat your oven to 180C.
Cut a sheet of parchment paper into a square. When your oven is preheated, poke your tart shell several times with a fork (this helps to release any air that might be trapped). Line your prepared tart shell with the cut parchment paper and fill it with dried beans or dried rice. Bake for 15 minutes and remove from the oven.
Remove the parchment paper and dried beans (just grab the edges and remove them). Allow the tart shell to cool down on a wire rack before filling it.
How to make Brown Sugar Apple Filling:
Combine brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add your small diced apples and sauté until they are almost tender (this will take around 5-10 minutes)
Add your brown sugar mixture and stir until sugar dissolves.
Add the vanilla. Allow the mixture to simmer until slightly thickened.
Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely.
How to make Caramel Sauce:
In a small pot combine water, sugar, and salt and bring to simmer over medium heat.
Carefully bring the sugar and water mixture to a simmer without stirring. Allow to simmer under supervision until it reaches a copper/iced tea colour (approximately 5-10 mins).
Remove the pan from heat and carefully add the heavy cream little by little and whisk to combine with a whisk. Please be careful because the mixture will bubble up and may splatter. And caramel burns are the worst. You may need to return your sauce to the stove on low heat for a minute and bring it back to a low simmer and whisk to combine.
Your caramel sauce may look very thin but will thicken as it cools down. Allow your caramel sauce to cool completely before using it for your tart.
How to make Pecan Streusel Topping:
Combine dry ingredients and chopped, raw pecans in a small bowl, add the cold, small cut butter, and with a fork or your hands crumble together until it resembles a streusel topping. Store in the fridge until ready to use.
To assemble your tarts and bake them:
Preheat your oven to 180C and line a sheet tray with parchment paper. This will help to catch any caramel drippings to make it easier to clean up.
Place your prebaked tart shell on your sheet tray and add a generous scoop of caramel sauce. You just want enough to cover the bottom of the tart shell.
Spread out the caramel sauce and top with the Brown Sugar Apple filling. Use a slotted spoon for this and try to limit adding the additional liquid the apples have released to the pan. Some of the sauce is good but don’t go overboard or your tart will be soggy.
Spread out the apple filling evenly and sprinkle evenly with the pecan streusel.
Bake at 180C for 40-45 minutes depending on your oven. You know your tart will be done when the filling is bubbling (maybe even over the rims) and the pecan streusel looks golden.
Once your tart is baked, remove it from the oven and allow for it to fully cool down at room temperature. At this point, you may serve it (worth refrigerating your tart for 30 minutes before cutting).